An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 37 foreseeable future but Ireland's Call reached out and looked after everything, they were amazing." commented Dr. Hennigan. "I am so grateful to them for getting me back to Ireland. I would much rather be in the front line helping out than being stuck in another country in an Airbnb." Dr. Hennigan was welcomed home to Ireland by PTE Sands at Dublin airport and put up in accommodation organised by the Initiative for her period of self-isolation. Dr. Hennigan has since returned to work in St. Vincent's Hospital where she is working alongside her mother, who is a nurse there. Following Dr.Hennigan's arrival, Ireland's Call has welcomed home a steady stream of homecomings, with 26 more healthcare workers returning in the subsequent weeks. Amongst them have been friends, couples and families. One couple, Josip Vukoja and Abbie Robertson, travelled home from Christchurch, Australia to Dublin via Auckland, Kuala Lumpur, Doha, and London. The total cost of this travel was €4,000 each. As diagnostic radiographers they are essential in the diagnosis of Covid-19 cases by portable chest x-ray. "We felt helpless over here and we didn't feel good staying while knowing the stressful situation the healthcare workers of Ireland were under." Josip and Abbie are currently self-isolating and waiting on confirmation of their next placement, which is likely to be St. Luke's General Hospital in Kilkenny. While it is a sacrifice to cut short a spell abroad as a doc- tor or nurse in the early stages of your career, it is another thing entirely for young fami- lies. Ireland's Call has helped two families with young chil- dren relocate back to Ireland in the last month. Dr. Mark Hensey and Dr. Noelle Casey, a cardiologist and a GP, had been living in Vancouver with their two young children (2 and 3) when they chose to answer Ireland's Call. The family are now in quarantine in Wexford. "We decided to come home early as we could see that the situa- tion was far worse than what we had seen in Vancouver." said Dr. Hensey. "We had been in touch with colleagues in Dublin and heard of many hospital staff becoming sick. Not only is this worrying for those falling ill, but it is also placing strain on those who are continu- ing to work in the hospitals. It was clear that more people were needed on the ground". Similarly, Dr. John Galbraith and his wife, nurse Larissa, were working in New Zealand having left Ireland three years ago and are raising a young child. Dr. John Galbraith said; "When I realised the impact that Covid-19 would have on the Irish health service I decided to come back and help out as soon as possible. I had a number of flight cancellations due to route closures and travel restrictions and was told by the airline that it would be nearly two months before I could get back. Within a few hours of contacting Ireland's Call Initiative they man- aged to get me on a flight that was leaving a couple of days later. I'm now back in Ireland doing two weeks of self-isolation until I can start work in Galway University Hospital to help out in any way I can." As Ireland's Call grew, Pte Sands developed a simple mantra. Fly the Heroes, House the Heroes, Kit the Heroes. 2 Nurses home from Kuala Lumpur Frontline Doctors - Dr. Jodip Vukoja and Dr. Abbie Robertson home from Christchurch, Australia Sgt Shaw at Listoke Distillery in Monasterboice, Louth

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